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23 Jun 2008 : Column 130W—continued
Foreign Relations: India
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made establishing an Indo-British economic and financial dialogue on bilateral and global issues since the joint declaration with India of 20 September 2004. [212172]
Yvette Cooper: The first meeting of the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue, led by then Chancellor of the Exchequer my right hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowden Heath and Indian Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram, was held in New Delhi, India on 18 January 2007.
In the meeting, Ministers and officials from both sides discussed issues on the current global economic situation, financial services, climate change, and using public-private partnership to enhance infrastructure investment.
A further meeting of the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue was held at officials level on 27 September 2007 in London. In addition to the topics covered in the January ministerial meeting, development and financial inclusion issues were also discussed. The Chancellor of the Exchequer held a bilateral meeting with Minister Chidambaram in parallel to the Economic and Financial Dialogue.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer will host the next round of the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue in London in July 2008.
Income Tax: Tax Collection
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of uncollected income tax in the last year for which figures are available. [212344]
Jane Kennedy: Details of the amounts of income tax due from taxpayers or traders in respect of established liabilities for which payment had not been received by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs as at 31 March 2007 are published in the Department's 2006-07 annual accounts and are available on the HMRC website.
Oil: Commodity Markets
Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the trading of oil using unregulated procedures in London and New York futures exchanges. [213167]
Kitty Ussher: Trading on the London futures exchanges is always regulated. Regulation of UK exchanges on which oil and other commodity derivatives are traded is the responsibility of the FSA in the UK and, where appropriate, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in America should the exchange have applied to offer its services there too.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has had various discussions with international counterparts in recent months regarding the drivers of oil prices, including at the G8 Finance Ministers Meeting on 14 June in Osaka, and at previous G7 Finance Ministers Meetings in February and April 2008. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such discussions.
Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the quantity of oil traded on the Intercontinental Futures Exchange that is (a) regulated and (b) traded using processes which are not regulated by the Financial Services Authority. [213168]
Kitty Ussher: ICE Futures Europe is a fully regulated exchange, regulated by the FSA as a recognised investment exchange, as set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”). All trading on ICE Futures Europe is therefore regulated by the FSA because it is taking place on a regulated market.
Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of the Financial Services Authority on the operation of the Intercontinental Futures Exchange in relation to oil trading; and if he will make a statement. [213169]
Kitty Ussher: Responsibility for the monitoring of the operation of ICE Futures Europe in relation to oil trading is a matter for the FSA. The FSA is independent of Government.
Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulatory powers the Financial Services Authority has in relation to oil trading on the Intercontinental Futures Exchange. [213170]
Kitty Ussher: ICE Futures Europe is a fully regulated exchange, regulated by the FSA as a recognised investment exchange, as set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”). The FSA therefore has access to all the normal supervisory tools that it can apply to recognised investment exchanges in the UK.
Oil: Prices
Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the effect on global oil prices of fuel subsidies in developing countries. [213339]
Kitty Ussher: HM Treasury has made no estimate of the effect of fuel subsidies in developing countries on global oil prices. Using 2005 data, the International Energy Agency has estimated that global energy consumption subsidies are likely to be in the magnitude of US$250 billion per year. As highlighted in the June 2008 Treasury paper ‘Global Commodities: a long-term vision for stable, secure and sustainable global markets’, subsidies inhibit the automatic stabilisation that should occur through changes in consumption as a result of price movements, while resulting in deterioration of Government fiscal positions.
Revenue and Customs: Closures
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the anticipated savings from the proposed review of HM Revenue and Customs office space in (a) Cornwall and (b) England. [212596]
Jane Kennedy: HMRC is reviewing all its accommodation so that it is aligned to future business needs and represents best value to the taxpayer. On 11 June 2008, the Department issued proposals for all its offices in Cornwall as well as many other locations throughout the United Kingdom. Consultation on these proposals runs until 6 August, and it is hoped that decisions will be announced before the end of the year.
In the event that all these proposals were implemented, HMRC estimates that the resulting estates running costs savings from Cornwall would be approximately £640,000 per annum by 2011-12 compared with £91,000,000 for England as a whole.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account was taken of the Government's policy to locate civil servants outside major cities in determining the closure of local tax offices and centralisation of services in Scotland. [212913]
Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is restructuring its business and estate across the whole of the UK in order to achieve business efficiencies and customer service improvements, and release surplus accommodation. Three quarters of its staff already work in and around the major urban centres, and most of its business streams can operate more effectively by consolidating more of their work in fewer locations. In its restructuring plans HMRC is taking account of its specific commitments under the government relocation programme to relocate jobs away from London and the South East.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the possible effects of the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Scotland on the payment and administration of benefits; and if he will make a statement. [212944]
Jane Kennedy: The payment and administration of most benefits is a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions. The only benefit payment HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for is child benefit. HMRC is also responsible for tax credits administration.
HMRC has a network of Enquiry Centres offering face to face advice to HMRC customers including tax credits claimants. If it is decided to close any building housing an Enquiry Centre, those services will continue to be provided, if not from the current building then from one nearby. There is therefore no reason why the proposed closure of any HMRC offices in Scotland should have any effect on the payment or administration either of child benefit or of tax credits.
Revenue and Customs: Manpower
Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were available to carry out face-to-face interviews in each HM Revenue and Customs office in Wales in each of the last five years. [212170]
Jane Kennedy: There is no central record of the information requested going back over the last five years. HM Revenue and Customs’ inquiry centres are the main routes for face to face advice, but other business areas also carry out face to face interviews. The numbers of staff from other areas that were available to carry out face to face interviews in Wales could not be established without incurring disproportionate cost.
Revenue and Customs: Scotland
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer at which locations HM Revenue and Customs provide public enquiry services in Scotland. [212915]
Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs provide face to face public Enquiry Centres at the following locations in Scotland.
Aberdeen
Ayr
Buckie
Coatbridge
Dumbarton
Dumfries
Dundee
Dunfermline
Dunoon
East Kilbride
Edinburgh—Elgin
Falkirk
Galashiels
Glasgow
Glenrothes
Greenock
Hamilton
Hawick
Inverness
Irvine
Kirkcaldy
Livingstone
Motherwell
Paisley
Perth
Peterhead
Rothesay
Stirling
Wick.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the value of HM Revenue and Customs property holdings in Scotland, broken down by site. [212916]
Jane Kennedy: Through the grant of the Strategic Transfer of the Estate to the Private Sector (STEPS) contract, the vast majority of HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) property holdings were transferred to Mapeley on 2 April 2001. As a result of this HMRC no longer undertakes formal property valuation appraisals of its property holdings and therefore does not have a recent estimate of the value of such holdings in Scotland.
Tax Credit Office: Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will arrange for a reply to be sent to the hon. Member for Walsall North’s letter of 6 May 2008 to the Tax Credit Office in Preston on two constituents, reference: NE505332A. [213020]
Jane Kennedy: The Tax Credit Office expect to be able to reply to my hon. Friend this week. They apologise for the delay in doing so.
Valuation Office: Geographical Information Systems
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Valuation Office Agency has made of the cost of implementing its plans for a geographical information system. [212737]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the previous answer given by the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 17 March 2008, Official Report, column 887W.
Wastes: Exports
Robert Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what records HM Revenue and Customs keeps of the amount of waste exported to countries outside the United Kingdom. [211931]
Jane Kennedy:
HM Revenue and Customs' records of exports from the UK to countries outside the European Community identify goods by a commodity code of up to eight digits. There is no single commodity code in the UK Integrated Tariff for waste as defined by Article 1(1)a of Council Directive 2006/12/EC. Exporters of waste may declare waste materials or goods under a
large number of commodity codes according, in some cases, to the material or goods in their original form. HMRC records will include statistical information relating to each commodity code. Some commodity code headings such as metals have specific codes for waste and scrap but in others the code would not distinguish between commodities in their original or waste forms.
HMRC records also include any shipments of waste to other EU member states by any businesses who are required to submit information to HMRC under EC Regulation 638/2004 (the Intrastat system). The same commodity codes as for non-EU trade apply.
Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was overpaid to recipients of tax credits in Islwyn constituency in the last 12 months. [212689]
Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the number of families with tax credit awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, for 2006-07, which are our latest statistics available, are produced in the HMRC publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments. Geographical Analysis 2006-07". This publication is available on the HMRC website at:
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what timetable he has set for making a decision on the application to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth; and if he will make a statement; [210704]
(2) what representations he has received on the proposed new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth since February 2008; what response was given in each case; and if he will make a statement. [210705]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department has received some thousands of representations, most before February 2008 but some afterwards. Individual responses are not sent to each but they will be taken into account by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, before he takes his decision on the application. There is no timetable set for this decision taking.
Departmental Coordination
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans his Department has to strengthen co-ordination and communication across Government Departments in an attempt to reduce fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement. [211939]
Malcolm Wicks: Action to tackle fuel poverty cuts across a number of Departments, and is jointly led by DEFRA and BERR.
Departments already work closely together, as witnessed by the UK Government and Devolved Administrations' annual report on the UK's Fuel Poverty Strategy, which sets out the action taken to alleviate fuel poverty across the UK.
The inter-ministerial group on fuel poverty provides a forum for the co-ordination of action to tackle fuel poverty. A meeting of this group is due to be convened.
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